Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Debuts Industry-First Antioxidant Nutrition Tracking: Here’s Everything You Need to Know

Samsung has introduced a revolutionary Antioxidant Index feature on the Galaxy Watch8, making it the first and only wristwatch in the world to measure carotenoid levels—an indicator of antioxidants and nutrition status—right at the wrist.

🧬 From Lab Tests to Wrist Tech

Many different things were going on in Samsung’s laboratories, but one of them was developing a system that could measure carotenoids at the same level of accuracy as laboratory spectroscopy, yet very easy to use—just like the wearable that was being created. Carotenoids are the pigments that give fruits and vegetables their color, and their levels in the body are a good proxy for he antioxidants and also for the general health of a person’s diet.

The technology, which was extensively tested in clinical trials at Samsung Medical Center with hundreds of participants, has been proven to deliver the same level of accuracy as laboratory spectroscopy.

💡 How It Works

Galaxy Watch8 is equipped with a miniaturized spectroscopy sensor that employs multi-wavelength LEDs and a custom photodiode array to detect the carotenoid density in the skin.

All users need to do is place a fingertip on the sensor to take a measurement of their antioxidant levels, which will then be classified according to the recommendations by the World Health Organization (WHO). The continuous calibration algorithms adjust for hand placement, tissue variation, and hardware differences to ensure that the results given are consistent.

Moreover, the feature integrates effortlessly with Galaxy Health data, which includes sleep, vascular health, and activity levels, to give a complete picture of aging and wellness.

🧠 A New Era in Nutrition Tracking

With Samsung's new innovation, the wearable health tech which has been focusing on activity, heart rate, and calorie tracking, has been filled with a gap. The Antioxidant Index gives users the ability to check on their long-term nutritional sufficiency and provides them with information on how diet affects their overall well-being.

Experts from Seoul National University and Samsung Medical Center were involved in the project, which started in 2018, and was conducted in the field of oxidative stress—the main factor in aging, cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

🌍 What’s Next

Samsung regards this achievement as a step towards large-scale preventive health monitoring where the population is monitored and the diagnostics are reserved for individuals with special needs. The company has plans to use the evolving algorithmic models and user data to extend the application of this technology to preventive healthcare destinations that are broader than just the clinic.